This week’s Peace Moment is by Steve Bolie.
PEACE MOMENT
By verse 35 of Mark chapter one, the reader is almost out of breath from all of Jesus’ activity – being baptized and tempted, calling followers, preaching, healing. It’s time for a new phase of Jesus’ ministry, preaching and healing throughout Gallilean. In between, Jesus pauses. Verse 35 reports “ In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.“ Maybe he couldn’t sleep because of all activity the day before or maybe it was the snoring of those first four disciples. Either way it was a good time for some meditation and prayer in the quiet of the early morning. I wonder if he did a lecto divina, thinking about a scripture he had memorized. For sure, he discussed his next steps in prayer. Then he was ready for the disciples when they found him.
I understand the desire for the peace of the early morning for being open to the work of the Holy Spirit. Since I retired I have come to value very early hours of the night. I get up and do my early devotional reading – the Daily Bread, the Richard Rohr post for the day, and a quote of Henri Nouwen. Usually I write some “prayer thoughts” in my journal. Then I go back to bed until morning.
Whether in the early morning or elsewhere in the day peaceful time for prayer and listening is good for the spirit. Let’s replicate that peace in this moment as I light the peace candle and read today’s prayer for peace.
Let us pray.